Frank m



No; 6l2,l52. Pat'en ted on. u, I898. Fm. BE'LL'.

ELECTRIC LAMP SOCKET.

(Application filed Jan. 10, 1898.)

(No Model.)

Frank MBeZZ ATTORNEY *NITED STATES PATENT FFICJE.

FRANK M. BELL, OF NElV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO \VILLMA POLLACK, or SAME PLACE.

ELECTRIC-LAMP SOCKET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 612,152, dated October 11, 18 98 Application filed January 10, 1898. Serial No. 666,151. (No model.) i

To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK M. BELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric-Lamp Sockets, of

which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

My invention relates to improvements in holding devices for incandescent electric lamps, and has for its object more particularly to provide a simple, efficient, and reliable socket by means of which the user of the electric current will be enabled to use any of the various forms of incandescent electric lamps In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specific'atiomwherein like letters of reference indicate like parts, Figure 1 is a side view, partly in section, showing a socket constructed according to and embodying my.

invention. Fig. 2 is an inverted plan View thereof. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail perspective view of the center contact-post. Fig. 4: is a similar view illustrating a modified form of center contact-post. Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1, illustrating a modified form of device for holding the spiral in contact with the locking-dogs; and Figs. 6, 7, and 8 are side views, partly in section, the firstnamed of said figures showing a lamp secured and supported within the socket by means of the spiral, and the remaining figures showing the lamp secured and supported in the socket by means of the center contact and the springfingers and the spiral forced back.

In said drawings, A designates the socket, comprising the cylinder portion B, having a flaring mouth and a cap 0.

D denotes a base, made of porcelain or other insulating material, supported within the cylinder portion 13 of the casing.

E denotes a contact-post connected with I one terminal of thecircuit and secured to the base D and arranged centrally on the under side thereof, the projecting portion E of said contact-post being cored out and the outer surface of said cored-out projecting portion provided with screw-threads a, an annular groove 1) above said screw-threads, and a recess 0 providedin said annular groove 1), and F denotes a spring disposed within said annular groove 1), having one end secured thereto adjacent to the recess and its other or free end passed around the post E and extending through the recess 0, partly into the cored-out portion E of said post.

G denotes a metal base connected to the remaining terminal of the circuit and secured to the under side of the porcelain base D by means of screw (Z, said base G being provided with a cut-out central portion, oppositely-ar ranged stops 6, and spring contact-fingers H, made integral with the base G and depending from its periphery','said spring contact-fingers H being each provided with a 1ongitudinal slot'Hand at their lower or free ends with locking-dogs H each comprising the inwardly-extending horizontal portion f and the .downwardly and outwardly projecting inclined portion 9. I denotes a spiral of suitable conducting material, preferably hardened copper, which constitutes an internal screw-thread. Upon the outer surface of this spiral Iare provided the outwardly-projecting hook members I, which extend through the slots H of the spring contact-fin gers H, and thereby serve to prevent any of the rotary movement being imparted to said spiral I, and J denotes a spiral spring disposed within the spring contactfingers 11 intermediate the spiral I and the base G, whereby to maintain the spiral I normally pressed against the horizontal portions f of the locking-dogs H In the modified form of contact-post as illustrated at Fig. 4E denotes the post, comprising the solid stein E and the cored-out portion E which is provided upon its outer surface with screw-threads a and above said screw-threads a with a cut-away or recessed portion 1), and F denotes a spring having one end secured to the interior of the cored-out portion E by means of a screw 0' and its other or free end bent downward and inward into the recess 1) and its extreme end partly bent outward again.

In Fig. the main structure is substantially like that shown at Fig. 1,.GXCG1317 that in this one the spiral I is held spring-pressed against the horizontal portions of the locking-dogs H by means of rods K, having their I lower ends secured to the outer surface of the spiral I and their upper ends extending through the porcelain base D and into housings L, secured to the upper side of said base The upper ends of said rods K, within the housings L, are provided with shoulders M, and springs N are disposed within said housing, intermediate the tops of said housings L and the shoulders M.

The operation will be best understood by referring to Figs. 6, 7, and S of the drawings. At Fig. 6 a lamp is shown having external screw-threads upon its base. To secure this one within the socket, it simply becomes necessary to insert the base thereof within the spring contact-fingers and then turn the same until the screw-threads upon its base are engaged by the spiral I and then continue the turning until the topof the lamp-base is brought firmly in contact with the end of the contact-post E. Where the lampbase is adapted for frictional holding and securement only, it is only necessary to insert the base within the spring-fingers and then firmly press the same home, care, however, being necessary to see that the stem projecting from the lamp-base has been properly inserted in the cored-out portion of the contact-post E and engaged by the end of the spring F, as shown at Fig. 7. here the lamp-base is provided with a central internal screw-thread,

as illustrated at Fig. 8, it simply becomes necessary, as heretofore, to insert the lamp properly within the spring-fingers and thereupon turn or screw the lamp until the internal screw-threads are engaged by the screwthreads at on the contact-post E and continue the operation until further movement is arrested by the base of the lamp coming into contact with the studs e e on the base G of the socket.

Without limiting'myself to the details of construction, which may be varied within the scope of the invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A socket comprising a casing, a base of insulating material arranged therein, a central contact and contact-fingers arranged upon said base, and a spiral supported bysaid contact-fingers, substantially as specified.

2. A socket comprising a casing, a base of insulating material arranged therein, a central contact and contact-fingers arranged upon said base and a spiral loosely supported by said contact-fingers, substantially as specified.

3. A socket comprising a casing, a base of insulating material arranged therein, a contact arranged in the center of said base, contact-fingers arranged at the periphery of said base, and a spiral supported within said contact-fingers adapted to move vertically within the same, substantially as specified.

4. A socket comprising a casing, a base of insulating material arranged therein, a contact arranged in the center of said base,sprin g contact-fingers arranged adjacent to the periphery of said base, a spiral movably supported within said spring contact-fingers, and means for maintaining said spiral normally in position adjacent to the free ends of said spring contact-fingers, substantially as specified.

5. A socket comprising a casing, a base of insulating material arranged therein, a 0011- tact-post arranged in the center of said base, spring contact-fingers arranged upon said base adjacent to the periphery thereof, said spring contact-fingers having dogs at their lower or free ends, a spiral supported within said spring contact-fingers, and means for maintaining said spiral normally in contact with said dogs, substantially as specified.

6. A socket comprising a casing, a base of insulating material arranged therein, a contact-post arranged in the center of said base, spring contact-fingers arranged upon said base adjacent to its periphery, said spring contact-fingers being provided with longitudinal slots and at their lower or free ends with locking-dogs, a spiral supported within said spring contact-fingers having engaging members upon its outer surface extending through the longitudinal slots of said spring contact-fingers, and a spiral spring disposed within said spring contact-fingers intermediate the base and the spiral, substantially as specified.

7. In a socket for incandescent electric lamps a contact-post comprising a solid stem portion, and a hollow portion provided upon its outer surface with screw-threads, and above said screw-threads with a recess, and a spring having one end secured to said contact-post and its other end free and extending through said recess and into the hollow portion of said post, substantially as specified.

8. In a socket for incandescent electric lamps a contact-post comprising a solid stem portion, and a hollow portion provided upon its outer surface with screw-threads, an annular groove above said screw-threads, a re cess in said annular groove, and a spring disposed in said annular groove having one end secured to said post, and its other end free and extending through the recess aforesaid, and into the hollow portion of said post, substantially as specified.

9. A socket for incandescent electric lamps comprising a casin g, insulated contacts therein, and a spiral, adapted to receive a lamp, loosely supported adjacent to the mouth of the casing by one of said contacts, substantially as specified.

10. In a socket for incandescent electric lamps, the combination with a base, of a plurality of spring-fingers depending therefrom having longitudinal slots therein, and lockin g-dogs at their lower or free ends, said locking-dogs each comprising an inwardly-projecting horizontal portion and a downward and outward inclined portion a spiral having retaining members arranged upon its outer surface extending through the slots in the spring-fingers, and spring means for maintaining said spiral normally pressed against the horizontal portions of the locking-dogs, substantially as specified.

11. In a socket for incandescent electric lamps the combination with a base having a central opening therein, stops arranged intermediate the central opening and the pe riphery of said base, and a plurality of springfingers depending from the periphery of said base, said spring-fingers'being provided with longitudinal slots, and at their lower or free ends with locking dogs, a spiral disposed within said spring-fingers having hooks upon its outer surface extending through the slots in the spring-fingers, and a spiral spring disposed within said spring-fingers intermediate the spiral and the base above mentioned, substantially as specified.

12. A socket comprising a casing, a base of insulating material secured therein, a hollow contact-post secured centrally to said base provided with internal and external engaging means, a metal base secured to said insulating-base having stops arranged thereon, a cut-out central portion, and a plurality of spring-fingers depending from the periphery of said metal base, said spring-fingers being provided with longitudinal slots, and at their lower or free ends with locking-dogs, a spiral disposed within said spring-fingers having outwardly-projecting hooks upon its outer surface extending through the slots in the spring-fingers, and a spiral spring disposed within said spring-fingers intermediate the metal base and the spiral whereby to maintain the latter normally in contact with the locking-dogs at the ends of the spring-fingers, substantially as specified.

Signed at the city of New York, in the county and State of New York, this 8th day January, 1898.

FRANK M. BELL. WVitnesses:

GUsTAvE DIE'IERICH, JOHN KEHLENBECK. 

